Everyone has a space they wish they could keep forever—a childhood alley where friends played, a beloved old street long since torn down, or a school library transformed by time. These places carry memories that are deeply personal and irreplaceable. But how do we preserve them as time marches on?
At Coohom, our team recently helped an elderly gentleman preserve a lifetime of memories by recreating his cherished photo studio in a digital world. What was once a fading community landmark now lives on as a “photo studio that never disappears.”
A Beloved Photo Studio Full of Half a Century of Stories
In San Dun Town, north of Hangzhou, under a sycamore tree, sits a humble photo studio. Operated for decades by Grandpa Hu, this studio isn’t just a place for photos—it’s a vessel for the laughter, milestones, and stories shared across generations in the neighborhood.
As Grandpa Hu’s health declined, he could no longer keep the doors open. What would happen to all these memories captured in prints and portraits? How could they be passed on before vanishing altogether?
Digital Technology Meets Human Emotion
Elysion, a 3D engineer at Coohom, came across Grandpa Hu’s story online and felt compelled to help. Using cutting-edge 3D Gaussian splatting, his team quickly formed a “gift squad” to digitally scan and rebuild the entire photo studio.
All it took was a short 360-degree video captured on a smartphone. The 3D Gaussian algorithm then pieced together millions of tiny light points to faithfully replicate every corner, every old camera, and every beam of light filtering through the skylight—down to the smallest detail.
Beyond Photographs: Immersive Memories That Come Alive
Unlike traditional photos that freeze a moment in 2D, this digital studio allows anyone to virtually walk through the space, reliving not just images but the entire atmosphere—the smells, the afternoon sunlight, the textures.
Messages from former customers poured in:
“My baby picture was taken right here!”
“From school portraits to wedding photos, this studio holds all my most precious moments.”
“This place is more than a photo studio—it’s a family archive.”
Elysion shares, “Preserving memories in 3D is the deepest respect we can pay to the past. We hope technologies like this help more people hold on to their precious stories.”
Coohom’s Vision: Where Technology Meets Heart
At Coohom, we believe space is more than just physical structures—it is the silent keeper of our emotions and histories. By harnessing advanced spatial digitization and immersive rendering technologies, we aim to turn real-world places into interactive virtual experiences, bringing memories to life in ways never before possible.
This project perfectly shows how technical innovation combined with empathy can protect meaningful community landmarks and personal histories from fading away.
Toward a Future of Everlasting Spatial Memories
With the rapid development of 3D imaging, AI, and cloud computing, the ways to capture and share memories of space will become more immersive and diverse. Coohom is committed to exploring new possibilities for using technology to safeguard cherished spaces—helping every story be told, and every precious memory be preserved through time.
